Maximum Ride: Midnight Morning
by sasoriza92
Summary: Max starts having dreams of Fang and he wants to tell her how he really feels. But life's never easy for them or the flock. How can they work it out? How do you tell the person you love most you love them? POSSIBLE RE-WRITE! SEE CH. 11!
1. My Girl

**Disclaimer: I, sadly enough, do not own Maximum Ride...or Fang either.**

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For as long as I can remember, Max has been in my life. Well, actually, she kind of has been there my whole life. She's got a four month head start on me, so, technically, she's always been around. Either way, Max has always been the oldest out of all of us, giving her leadership rights. I missed out on four measly months, but I couldn't have done a better job than her. 

After Jeb sprang us from the School, he brought us to a remote place where we lived for a couple years. He was the one who taught us how to fly. Boy, was that ever interesting. Have you ever tried to get a twenty-pound, ten-year-old mutant bird kid to jump off of a cliff and flap? Ha! It's a real challenge, especially when you're dealing with the unruly ones, like me.

Learning to fly was a challenge for all of us, even for me. But Max, oh gosh, Max, she had to be strong and show no fear, even though I could just see the anxiety waving off of her. She had been terrified the first few times, like any normal avian would. A lot of us showed it, that initial fear, but not Max. I really didn't either, but not for the same reasons as Max. She's more of a pride-driver type of girl. If it has the potential to make her look soft, it's no good. Me? I was too damn busy thinking about other things to care much about flying.

When Jeb left us, Max took charge, getting the younger kids to bed on time, teaching them to fight, teaching them how to survive, really. I helped, of course, but Max did a lot of the work. Before Angel learned how to read, I'd read to her. She would sit down next to me, legs drawn up against her tiny body, and listen as I read the words on each page. Sometimes, I'd catch a glimpse of Max watching me with Angel. Her eyes would linger between Angel and me, and if I looked up at just the right time, I could see her smile.

I looked up at the night sky, ending my semi-sentimental flashback. The fire flickered precariously, casting shadows across the ground over the flock. They were all out for the number. Flying took a lot out of them, and we hadn't necessarily been eating all that well recently either, which didn't help. Like I did every night, I counted their lanky bird bodies from habit. One, two, three, four. . . .Four? Where was Max?

Without moving, I glanced around the area, using the fire light as a guide. From what I could see, Max wasn't around. I rose silently, and then began the diligent task of stepping over the flock's passed out bodies to go search for Max. Just as I was about clear of the flock, I heard somebody move behind me.

"Fang?" a little voice peeped.

I turned around to see Angel sitting up on the ground. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and brushed a few blond curls out of her face. "Yes?"

"What," she yawned, "are you doing?"

I took a few steps back toward her and kneeled by her side. "Looking for Max, that's all," I whispered to her. Angel nodded and yawned again. I couldn't help but to smile. She was just so darn cute. "Go back to sleep, Angel. You're going to be tired in the morning."

Angel silently mumbled a yes. She quickly wrapped her small arms around my side. "'Night, Fang," she whispered sleepily.

I gave her a light snug, and then watched her lay back down before I stood to leave to go find Max.

"Fang," Angel called. Again, I turned around to look at her. She was curled up on the ground with a ragged, sad excuse for a blanket over her legs. "She went that way," she said, pointing in one direction.

_That's my girl_, I thought with a grin.

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_-squee- This is my first time posting a Max Ride fan fic! Yessss! This is the second one I've written, firsts to post. I'll post the other one soon enough._

_So...I really don't know what to say. I've never really been that good with author's notes. I rarely have much to say. xD_

_Yeah...so, read, **review**, relive, repeat. Hope you like it!_

_Saz _

_Edit: I've gotten 3 fav's so far and the story's only been up for less than an hour. I'm impressed. D However, review people! Once I get 5 reviews, I'll post the next chapter!! -end blackmail- hehehe_


	2. Personality, It Counts

**Disclaimer: I, sadly enough, do not own Maximum Ride...or Fang either.**

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I trudged lightly, silently, over in the direction where Angel had pointed me in. Several moments passed and I came to a wall of dense brush. After another minute's worth of surveying, I found the faint trail that Max had left behind. Stealthily, I followed my path, which led me to a spring. The moon's light reflected off of the pristine waters, giving the illusion of more light.

That's when I saw her. Max. She sat with her legs pulled up to her chest, chin resting on her knees. Her blond hair moved slightly with the soft breeze. She looked at ease. Now, when Max is happy, or calm, or both, it's the most beautiful thing you'll ever see. Who would have known that this girl, behind the filth and walls, was so serene?

I was all but sitting down next to Max before she noticed I was there.

"Oh," she gasped in surprise.

"You're losing your touch, Maximum," I said disapprovingly, shaking my head.

She frowned and looked out over the spring. I knew Max really didn't like me calling her Maximum, but that's why I did it. Can you really blame a guy for wanting to have a little bit of fun in his chaotic, death defying life?

"So, why are you out here? You're supposed to be sleeping. I said I'd take first watch tonight."

Max glanced over to me, but then turned back to the spring. "Couldn't sleep," she mumbled almost inaudibly.

I nodded, a simple way to respond to that simple answer. For the longest time, we didn't speak. Max continued to stare out over the water front, while I looked out into the darkness, listening to the rhythmic sound of her breathing. My breath fell into cadence with hers automatically.

Being the charming guy I was, I had to say something to lighten the tension. "Is there anything you want to talk about, Max?" I asked.

"No," she said flatly.

"Max," I cried gently, draping an arm across her shoulders with ease. She tensed when she felt me touch her. A wave of excitement flew over me, yet I contained all of those feelings inside. "I know you inside and out," I reminded her. "Don't tell me there's nothing you want to talk about."

She bit her lip, holding back from what she wanted to say. "No," she finally whispered. "There's nothing I want to talk about right now, Fang."

_Why does she have to be so conceited sometimes?_ I thought with distaste. I heaved myself off of the ground and brushed my torn pants off. "Come on," I said, grabbing her hands and pulling her up. She looked at me quizzically, giving me that 'What do you think you're doing?' sort of look. Max dusted herself off and continued to stare at me when she was done.

"Well?" she groaned, waiting for an explanation from me.

I smirked at her and gave her that Fang smile I knew she couldn't resist. In the humidity of the night, that spring was beginning to look very appealing to me. My dark jacket slid off my shoulders easily as I began to kick off my shoes. Max stared at me wide-eyed, wondering what I was doing more than likely.

"Going for a quick swim," I said, answering her silent question. Without much hesitation, I tore off my tattered shirt. It didn't take a genius, such as me, to know that Max was watching with haste. I don't think she wanted to look, but what can I say? I'm a pretty good looking guy, and I'm not afraid to admit that. With a smirk, I thought about how appealing I was to girls. There was the girl at that school Anne put us in, that one girl in NYC, and then there was a few more I could see in my mind. But then there was just that one girl. The one I knew that I wanted more than anything deep, deep down and just couldn't admit that to myself.

I hurled myself off of a rock platform, cannon-balling into the chilly waters of the spring. The water was deep, and I didn't even hit the bottom. When I resurfaced, I saw Max staring at me, her eyes laden and full of surprise. Had I made a huge splash? I hope I had, 'cause Max was anything but dry.

I sucked up a mouthful of water and spat it in a stream at Max. "Come on, Max," I said as sweetly as possible, "jump in. The water's nice and cold."

"I—I really don't like the cold so much," she stammered.

Three strokes later, I was on the edge where I had jumped off from. I hoisted my upper body onto the rock and held myself there. Max's eyes darted between me, the water, and something off in the distance. "Please?"

Max bit her lip and looked away from me frequently. That's the power of me, I guess. I have this certain charm that people just can't resist. Did I not mention that I know how to use my capabilities to my advantage? Yes, boys and girls, even if I don't have any real powers, I have personality, and that's what counts.

My mouth curved up into a faint smile. "My shirt's over there use it if you want," I told her, seeing I had won this battle. "I won't look." I took a deep breath and dove back into the cool water, swimming away from the ledge, away from Max. A minute later, I came back up, now looking around for her. She was nowhere on land. I panicked and looked around wildly for her.

"Max? Where are you? Max?" I searched vigorously, combing through the water frantically. Where was she?

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_Ya know...I shouldn't even be posting this...I didn't get my 5 reviews yet. -sniff- Ah well, I'm nice...so I'll gift this one to you. hehehe_

_Oye! Did I just end with a little cliffie thar? Ooohhh! Guess you'll just have to wait for that next one, won't ya?_

_BUT! There is a way you can get chapter 3 sooner? -gasp- How's that you ask? REVIEWS! REVIEWS! REVIEWS! That's the deal. I write, you review. C'mon now, it's not that much to ask for, is it? All ya have to do is write "I just read your story. It's great so far!" or "cool. I like it." or even "eh...it could have been better, but great job!" That's all I'm asking for REVIEWS! So, here's the deal my chickies. I will give you ONE CHAPTER for every FIVE REVIEWS. Not so bad now, is it? -smiles-_

_Okay, now, for those of you who like my writing -blush- here's a little thing I like to call a one shot series. -nods- Yep, yep, yep. It's called "Here's the Number, Now FAX it to Me!" by me, of course. I'll eventually end up posting a bunch of one shots there. Did I mention that I'm also taking requests for other stories? Well, now you know. hehe. Now, where's this dang thing at you might ask. Okay, okay, settle down, here's the link. click-ith!_

_Just remember, guys...reviews make me happy and they'll make you happy in the future ('cause you get chapters when I'm happy and I'll only be happy if I get reviews) hehe. Have fun!_

_- Saz_


	3. Let's Go for a Fly

**Disclaimer: I, sadly enough, do not own Maximum Ride...or Fang either.**

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I felt a tug on my leg, and a gasp left my mouth unwillingly. Max's head bobbed out of the water. She wiped the water out of her eyes and brushed her hair back. Her lips curved up into a sheepish grin. 

"You scared the hell out of me!" I said, my voice slightly too loud. "You disappeared on me. I couldn't see you!"

Max smiled again. "You're losing your touch, Fang," she quoted me with a small laugh.

"Funny," I snorted, but I still managed a grin. "So, you decided to come in?"

She chuckled under her breath. "Obviously, Fang," she said.

There was an awkward silence between us. We both kicked our legs, treading water. I motioned for her to follow me, and she followed without hesitation. We ended up kicking our way over to a shallower end of the pool. The water was deep enough so that we still had to tread in order to keep our heads above the surface, but shallow enough so that we could touch the bottom if we stretched a bit.

"Fang," Max said in a hushed tone. I looked over to her, my heart drumming in my chest whenever she said my name that way. "Maybe there is something I want to talk about, just maybe."

I half smiled, more so a smirk. Didn't I say I knew her inside and out? Who was right? Ten points for me.

"Speak away, my queen of denial," I responded with a grin. She pursed her lips and gave me a well deserved smack upside the head.

She squirted water at me through her teeth and backstroked over to the shallowest part of the shallows. In other words, it was kind of like a rock beach. I followed her like the hormonal dog I was, but you'll never hear me admitting that. We rested on the rocks, liking how they were smooth from the eroding water. It was peacefully quiet between us.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, pressing the topic forward.

Max sighed and looked past me into the distance. "I've been having these dreams a lot recently," she admitted in a low voice. "They're not bad. It's just that they're really making me think . . . a lot."

I cocked my head to the side. "Dreams about what, Max?"

Her gaze left mine and she looked down into the shallow six-inch waters, tracing the eroded grooves in the rock. "Us," she whispered reluctantly. My heart pounded harder in my chest. "They're about the beach, the first one, I mean, the cave in Arizona, Anne's, things like that." She looked up at me. "That's all really. They're all pretty detailed, most of the time, but it feels like there's always something missing, like something isn't right."

Remembering that there were possibly two sides to this, I said, "What about what you've been thinking about? You said that they're making you think."

Max sat up and offered to help me up as well. I grabbed her hand and pulled myself her, with her doing the same. It didn't take a second to realize just how drop dead gorgeous she was. Even in the rags, more so, my oversized, over torn, shirt that she wore, she looked flattering. She looked good in anything, and she proved to me that she didn't have to wear high end fashion to blow me away. Heck, she looked sexy in rags, which was what I was used to seeing her in.

She looked up at the midnight sky. "Let's go for a fly," she suggested in a quiet voice. Max stood up out of the water and unfurled her wings. "It'll dry off them a bit quicker."

I nodded and extended my wings. They practically blended in with the background, dark and shadowy. Max's wings glistened in the moon light, white with specks of pale brown. We flapped our wings a few times to try and shake some of the water out before we took off. I gave my wings a good, hard shake, which sent droplets of water in every direction.

Max giggled as the veil of water hit her. "Fang," she laughed, "stop it!"

I tucked in my wings and crept up behind her. "Stop what?" I breathed in her ear. Max quivered when I spoke, and I grinned.

After a few more good shakes, Max leaped into the air and beat down her wings to thrust herself up into the air. I followed after her, giving my wings a few good flaps until I was safely airborne.

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_My GOSH! You people really do respond quickly! I swear, give a kid a cookie and he'll do whatever you want. lol_

_Okay, uh, something to say, something to say...AH-HA! So, I'm keeping tabs on how many favs, reviews and alerts I receive each day as well as for which chapters. So far, I have gotten 7 reviews and 1 alert today (Feb. 26) for this story. Chapter 1 has 4 reviews and chapter 2 has gotten 6 reviews so far today. And I have a grand total of 10 reviews, 1 fav, and 1 alert so far. I feel all good now. :)_

_Okay, so long as y'all don't flood me -fakes drowning-, I'll keep posting. But just know that I can only write so fast, so if I'm a bit behind my 1 for 5 rule (1 chapter, 5 reviews), just give me a day or two to catch up. _

_So, you know what to do. Read and review! Chapter 4 will appear as soon as I get up to 15 or more reviews total! Have fun!_

_- Saz_

_P.S. The dang link didn't show up in my last chapter, and I don't really feel like getting the link at the moment so...you can find it on my profile! hehehe!_


	4. Logical Answers

**Disclaimer: I, sadly enough, do not own Maximum Ride...or Fang either.**

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For all of you who aren't part avian or don't know how to fly, let me tell you that it's beyond words. Well, I can try to put it into words. It's kind of like that rush you get when you're going 90 miles an hour, but you normal people shouldn't be going that fast, so. . . .Okay, I got it, a rollercoaster or going down a steep hill. That's the best I can think of. It's exhilarating, the speed and lightheadedness you feel, like revival or freedom. It feels good. That's the easiest way to explain it. 

Max and I flew for a little while, making dips and turns in the crisp night air. I coasted underneath of her and saw her force a smile. She pulled back, coming up along my side the next moment. We exchanged a telling look that could have been translated into relief or contentment.

We didn't talk as we flew, just kept our eyes forward and sharing the occasional glance. The flock was still within our vision, nothing to worry about. I could feel Max's eyes on me, but it's not like I looked back at her. There was this deep desire I had for her to watch me, to try and figure me out. It was a game I unknowingly played with her. She would watch my movements and expressions, trying to decide what was going through my head or what I was feeling. Of course, she'd never figure that out. I was an unsolved puzzle that no one could finish, and I liked it that way. It was better that people were kept in the dark about my thoughts usually.

There was a decent sized ledge several hundred yards away from the flock. The two of us coasted down, preparing to land. Max touched down first, tucking in her wings and skidding to a graceful stop with complete ease. I, on the other hand, was so caught up watching her that I misjudged my angle and ended up landing face down.

A quiet "umph" escaped me unintentionally as I slid across the rock. I groaned and quickly braced myself so I could stand. Max hid her obvious smile with her hand. I glared at her as I brushed off my dirty palms. They were cut up and so was my face, not to mention the soreness in my chest, but nothing unmanageable. I'd be fine within a few hours, if that.

"You missed a spot, clumsy," Max said with a smile. She pointed to the side of her own face. I frowned and wiped my side again. "Fang, you're so. . . ." Max didn't finish, instead, she walked up to me. Using her thumb, she gently rubbed my cheek until the flecks of dirt were gone.

My heart was beating uncontrollably. I desperately hoped that she couldn't hear it. You never would have known how lighthearted I felt judging by my expressionless face. I'm good at doing that, if you haven't already noticed.

But Max, on the other hand, usually, if not always knows when I was holding something back or faking. She was the only one who could read me, I guess. No one else in the flock could see through my disguises aside from Angel, but that's another matter. Max knows me, and I mean knows me, knows me, better than anyone.

"Is something wrong, Fang?" Max asked softly, reading me like she does.

"No," I lied; even though I knew that she'd catch me.

"Fang, don't lie to me," Max said sternly.

I looked her in the eyes. She was sizzling underneath her mask of emotions. There was always something about Max's eyes that made me relax.

"I'll tell you when you're ready, Max," I finally said to her.

I half expected Max to rant on about how I should tell her, and why it was so important. She didn't though, surprisingly enough.

Max sighed, "Okay." And that's it. I didn't get any ultimatums or anything, just an understanding sigh and a basic okay. She kicked some rocks across the ground and sat down. I followed her suit and sat next to her. We laid back and looked up at the midnight sky. The stars were out tonight. There were so many times when I'd look up at the sky during my watch and just picture what it would be like to be as free and brilliant as the stars.

"Have you ever what it would be like if the School never came back to get us?" Max asked after a long silence.

I nodded. "Just about every day," I whispered back. Max shook her head, but didn't make a word. With Max right there beside me, a rush of thoughts went through my head. The thought of half of them making me chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Max asked.

I let out one last laugh before answering. "Oh, nothing, just thinking of some of the better times we've had."

Max kicked her feet in the air, tapping her foot out of habit. "Like what?"

"Oh, you know," I told her, "stuff."

She rolled her eyes. "What kind of 'stuff,' Fang?"

For a full minute (yes, a whole freaking minute!), I said nothing, just smirking. "Us," I said, like it was the only logical answer.

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_I sooo almost forgot to put an author's note on this page. O.o no...wait...I did forget. I'm just redoing this. xD_

_ -thinks of something smart to say- I've got nothing. I'm stumped. Uh...well, until I can think of something semi-intelligent, I'll just leave you with this:_

_-clears throat-_

_OMG! Look at the REVIEWS! -mind boggles- Thanks you guys! Keep 'em coming!_

_- Saz _

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	5. Another Point

**Disclaimer: I, sadly enough, do not own Maximum Ride...or Fang either.**

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Max nodded again, something she'd been doing a lot recently. I shrugged it off. She's just lost for words.

"So," I coughed, "what's been on your mind lately?"

"Not you, if that's what you're asking," she answered dryly. I nodded (wow, this has to be an epidemic), and scuffed the tips of my shoes against the rock.

"I see," I slowly edged out.

Max glanced over at me, hurt in her eyes. "Look, I didn't mean it like that," she said, looking away again. "I meant it, like, not the way you probably think of me."

I turned onto my side, lying sideways to face her. "And how do you think I think of you, Max?"

She was quiet for a while. I mean, I thought the silence was long before, but wow, this was almost painful. Seriously, have you ever had to wait for a plane or something that's running, oh, let's just say an hour late and you have somewhere else to be? Yeah, that's kind of how this feels.

"I−I don't know, really," she mumbled.

"You don't know, or you don't want to think you know?" I challenged her softly.

"Why'd you do it?" she asked instead. I blinked. There's a world of possibilities that her question could have been about. "Why'd you kiss me in that cave while we were in Arizona? Why?"

I rolled over onto my stomach and folded my hands underneath my chin. "Do you really need to ask?" I answered, forcing her to keep eye contact.

"Yes," she said, "I want to know."

"No," I sighed, "do you _really_ need to ask? I mean really, _really_ ask."

She looked at me, trying to figure it out for herself. Oh, how I wish I could just tell her right then and there what she means to me, but that'd be way out of character. Come on, who's heard of me ever saying how I really felt? You have to guess. It's all part of the fun.

"I think," she whispered cautiously, "that you kissed me because you maybe, possibly. . . ."

"Yes, and?" I encouraged her.

"Maybe, kind of, possibly, sort of," she said too quickly, "liked me just a little bit." Max clamped her mouth shut and closed her eyes. Embarrassed? Oh, you bet.

"Well, I certainly didn't do it because I hated you," I chuckled. "Who's ever heard of someone kissing somebody else because they hated each other? Come on now. That's just ridiculous."

She frowned. "This isn't funny, Fang. You _kissed_ me."

_Yes, I think we've mentioned that_, I thought. This girl, I swear, is so stubborn sometimes. Well, more than sometimes I should say. "And what's that supposed to mean? If I remember right, _you_ kissed _me_ first."

"That was different," she said as she tried to hide her noticeable blush.

"And how is that different?" I asked. "Didn't they both end up the same way?"

Max seemed reluctant to talk about the subject. "I guess they're not so entirely different," she mumbled.

Another point for me.

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**I am so so so soo sorry for not posting for the past few days! I forgot that my laptop won't read certain files from my computer...and that's what happened. All I had was the laptop this weekend, so yeah. Forgive me?**

**Anyway, thanks for all of the favs, reviews, and alerts when I was gone. I got 16 over the weekend (the three combined). So thanks a whole lot. And for whoever is also reading my drabbles (FAX it to Me) thanks even more! D**

**I'll try to make it up to you guys. I'll try my best to post chapter six sometime today, but I can't make any promises. I have some homework I need to finish up. That may take a while. ;D**

**As usual, read, review, and make us all happy!!**

**- Saz**


	6. Flyboys

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. If I did, well...**

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It's amazing how good you feel when you know you won something or did something right. For me, that would be getting Max to admit that those two incidents (or accidents as she would call them), weren't so different. Now all I have to do is get her to believe that there was something more to them, a deeper meaning, if you catch my drift.

I know that Max has a bunch of walls set up around her, and I'm not saying I do either. It's just that I want to be the one to break through those walls, even if it's just a little bit or only for a short amount of time. Selfish and so not me, I know, but you kind of have to understand where I'm coming from here. You see, to Max, I'm just the right wing. I'm there when she needs me and can help drive forward. But I'm also the quiet guy that no one can seem to figure out, that nobody quite understands.

What would I give for Max to break down my own walls? It would be so incredible if I could let her do that for me, break me down and open me up. It's just not that simple, though. You have no idea how bad I want to let her in− how much I want her to know. I just can't do that. It wouldn't be me if I did. Besides, I'd probably run her off if I did start talking. I've scared her enough, per say. She jumped off of a friggin cliff so she wouldn't have to kiss me again. If that doesn't say something, I don't know what does.

"So," Max coughed hesitantly, "what's on your mind?"

I stood up and dusted the soil and dirt off of me. "Haven't we already been over that, Max?"

She frowned as she got up, smacking her pants so the dust would come out. Her eyes suddenly went from casual to fury. I glanced over to her. "We need to get back to the flock," she said bluntly. "Flyboys− they're on their way. I can hear them."

I closed my eyes and concentrated. Sure enough, I could hear the low hum of the flyboys. "Well, this totally sucks."

Max looked over at me and nodded. "Yeah, we're going to have to leave. The kids really liked the area too."

What Max said made sense, but I was thinking of something along different lines. Yeah, I can agree that I was bummed to leave, because everyone else liked this area. Still, though, I was kind of thinking just the two of us, not the whole flock. Don't get me wrong, I think about the flock's well being all the time, but I need some me time, too.

The two of us shot down to the ground. Max kicked Iggy's shoe and tugged on the Gasman's jacket. I gently shook Nudge's shoulder, but had to resort to more force to get her to budge. Angel was already awake. She had heard Max and me flying in and was already packing up her things.

"What are we doing?" Nudge mumbled. She wobbled on her feet.

Max put a hand on her shoulder. "We've got to pack up and go kiddo. Flyboys are closing in," she told her.

Nudge groaned, "Great."

Even though we were completely out of it, we took off. Let's just say it was a rocky first few flaps. Nudge almost knocked Gazzy out of the sky when she accidentally brushed against his wing. A few words were exchanged, but they were too exhausted to get into a verbal fight. I glanced over my shoulder. The flyboys should be close to our camp by now.

I pressed forward so that I was flying beside Max. She glanced over at me briefly, but soon was looking forward again. "You know that we had to leave," I said quietly. She nodded solemnly in agreement. "We did the right thing, Max."

"I know we did, Fang," she sighed. "It's just that– I'm tired of running. Look at us. We're a complete mess." I had to agree, we were a horrendous sight most of the time. "I want us to go live like normal kids, like Ella and Mom. This whole saving the world thing is starting to get old. You know I'd just quit right now, but I can't."

I looked over at her. She didn't look furious, but tired. Now, I don't mean sleepy tired, but tired of fighting. Nothing was worse than seeing Max sad. Max angry, yeah, I could deal with that, but seeing her sad or defeated made me weaken.

"I have to do this, Fang. They won't stop until we do this," she whispered.

"I know," I said quietly into the wind.

After that, we were silent, all six of us. Eventually, I dropped back behind Max and let her take the lead on her own. I watched her. Every little movement she made my eyes caught. When her wings beat down, I saw it. When she shifted her feathers to angle in the right direction, I saw that too. Her hair whipped around her face in the wind. She never looked more beautiful.

Just when I was about to relax in the air, I heard the paining hum of motors and gears behind us. I wanted to scream. They kept ruining our lives, and I wouldn't be able to take it much longer. Max looked over her shoulder at me, and I nodded. We all turned in midair to face our most hated counterparts. With a distasteful passion as our fuel, we burned more brightly on the inside than anything else.

I took one last look at Max.

This was the last time I'd let them hurt us.

And then the flyboys came into view. I tensed my body, ready to kill.

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**Suh-weeeet!! Look at the reviews! I swear, I've never gotten this much response before. It really makes me feel good. Keep 'em coming!**

**Ok, so...I'm really really happy. Why? 'Cause my grandma got me a box of 50 Crayola colored pencils! ACK! So happy! I love to draw, and I'm working on using better techniques to draw and color too. I'll try to draw some of the characters some time. Just don't get too excited. I'm no Picasso. o.o**

**Anyway...I have this really amazing (for my standards) drawing of one of my characters for Max Ride. -gasp- Yes, I know. Shocking, isn't it? He won't appear in this story, but be prepared. I have hand written a 65 page "script" (it's written in a script format) worth of that story. Plus, it will be even longer when I type it out because now I get to add all of those little details that I didn't include in the script. It's really basic. And for those of you who don't know what a script looks like, it generally has the name of the speaker, some stage directions, and of course the dialogue. I'll get around to posting that story soon. I want to get farther in this one first. But expect a few teasers every now and then. hehehe**

**- Saz**

_Teaser One: Alpha, Itex, Hextal, mind. (not much of a teaser, I know...but just let your mind wander with these few words)_


	7. Fighting to Falling

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. If I did, well...**

* * *

Before the flyboys even had time to attack, we were wailing on them. We all had enough anger and distaste toward them to kill them all off. Our physical strength just aided us when it comes down to fighting. 

The rage coursed through my veins like a stream of molten lava. My blood boiled with displeasure and hate. I swung my leg around and caught one of them in the neck. A silent crunch came from the place where I had kicked it, and it dropped from the sky like the heap of metal it was. This was the thrill of the fight, knowing that you're in for the kill and winning.

I took a moment to glance at everyone around me. Iggy was avoiding the flyboys as much as possible as he finished wiring up some explosive. The Gasman was doing the same, but he already had some bombs ready. They pierced the sky with a sharp crack, and then the smoke would temporarily blind the flyboys. The shrapnel went flying through the air, slicing through anything in their path. Luckily, we all knew better than to hang around a bomb site.

After watching Iggy drop another bomb, I made the snap decision to go see how the girls were doing. Mind you, that this has only been a few seconds, and yes, I am paying attention to the metal maniacs all around me.

Nudge was seriously kicking the crap out of this one flyboy. Another one came up from behind and grabbed her waist. She fidgeted and squirmed until she was free enough to deliver a sharp kick back into the flyboy's stomach. Then she used her time to elbow him in the gut before pushing off out of his grasp. With one more swift kick, she knocked him in the head, sending a few sparks and bolts into the area. Before a new flyboy could grab her, she started flailing her fists again.

Angel was still upset over the loss of the Erasers. Why? Simple, because the flyboys are literally brainless, so there's no mind for Angel to control. And besides, these guys are a bit harder to take out than Erasers. She still fought well, for a six-year-old. One tried to grab her leg and yank her out of the sky, but Angel is way too swift for that flyboy. He nicked her shoe, but she got away, only to run into the grasp of another one. I was about to burst through the cloud of flyboys to save her, but someone beat me to it.

Max screamed and dived down to Angel. She hooked her arm around the flyboy's neck and yanked back. There was a horrible crunch of metal and a defeated hiss groaned out of the flyboy as he fell from the sky. I took a glance over to Max. Her hair was untamed and a few stray strands were plastered to her face.

The flyboys continued to buzz in midair, but seemed to have stopped attacking.

"You cannot run," they droned together. "Where ever you go, we can find you, and we will not regret any harm done to you. This is your warning."

I saw Max cross her arms across her chest, and glared at the swarm. "Yeah, well you guys can take this as a warning. Stay away from my flock!"

The flyboys groaned and began to fly in the opposite direction, away from us. They didn't turn back around or try to attack again. They just kept flying.

"Well," I murmured after spending many confusing minutes staring at their backs, "that was, well, odd."

Nudge nodded, her head still cocked to the side in bewilderment. "You know, it's kind of like they didn't want to get us this time. I mean, they could have kept fight us, and there were a lot of them. They could have easily kept attacking if they wanted to. I don't get it. Why would they just show up and randomly attack us and then leave for no good reason? I'm happy that they went away. It's just that, wow. I can't believe it."

Nicely said by our own Nudge-channel, and that's why you have to love that motor mouth of hers. She may keep going on, and on, and on, and on like that pink rabbit on TV. You know the one for those battery commercials?

My pleasure was only temporary, because as soon as I let myself relax, I heard Max scream. I whipped my body around 180 degrees, but Max wasn't there. Angel yelled something I couldn't understand, but it was enough. The second I looked down, I knew where Max was. She was falling, falling really fast toward the ground, toward death if she didn't flap.

But I wouldn't give her the chance to flap. I shouted in rage and spiraled down as fast as I could go, silently praying that I would be able to catch her in time before she hit the earth. My head started to spin from the speed, but would it be enough? Would I be fast enough to get her? The ground got closer and started coming faster in a blur. I wasn't going to make it.

* * *

**Okay, again, I'm really really really sorry for not being able to post for the past forever. I haven't been home a lot or able to write. There's a musical at school and I'm kind of in the pit orchestra, so I only have about 2 hours of me-time at home, and I have to use that time to eat, do homework, and unwind. That's why updates have been so slow for the past 2 weeks. Anyway, I'm not doing anything this weekend, and Saturday is our last performance, so I will hopefully be able to type a lot.**

**In other news, I have posted a new story for those of you who didn't already see, which is a lot of you. o.o It's called** _MR: Code Name Alpha_**. Alpha is one of my characters who I created this past summer. He was set aside for a few months since I dropped my Max Ride books for a while to do other things, but now, he's back! Well, no one besides me knew about him, so he's back in my world and will soon be entering yours.**

**Anyway, so, I was on the Max Ride blog site late last week to see if anything new was up, and I randomly got this crazy idea. What if Alpha had a blog? Alpha is by far one of my favorite characters I've ever made. I don't know what it is about him that I like so much, but he's not leaving any time soon. So, within the next few days or week or so, Alpha's blog will be on the way, for those of you who may be interested. Who knows? Maybe I'll include some of my other characters on the site. Alpha isn't the only experiment I've created. wink wink Oh, and at the bottom is another teaser for** _Code Name Alpha_

**Well, I've rambled on long enough. Read, review, relive, repeat.**

**Saz. . . .Out.**

_Teaser 2: Black, blue, silver, wings, ghost, cat._


	8. Broken

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. If I did, well...**

* * *

_My head started to spin from the speed, but would it be enough? Would I be fast enough to get her? The ground got closer and started coming faster in a blur. I wasn't going to make it._

And I didn't make it.

I closed my eyes to fight back the tears that were begging to come out. Max's final scream before she hit the ground echoed in my ears. Her limp body imbedded itself in my mind, broken, shattered. Pictures of her lifeless eyes and colorless face crept into my thoughts and began hacking at my sanity. My life drained as that little fire inside of me slowly began to weaken.

It took all of my strength to land next to her body there on the ground. The flock had landed, and Nudge was stifling toward me. Iggy put an arm in front of her, making her stop. He turned his head toward me and nodded. I shook my head up and down in response. I'd say something to him later. As I turned and kneeled next to Max's body, Iggy lead the rest of the flock away. The last thing I saw was Angel's blank face before she slowly began to follow everybody else.

Finally, when everyone was out of sight, I allowed a few of the tears to come. I closed my eyes tight, hoping they would go away. Somehow, I knew that I had to let them come. This was a release that I'd needed for so long. A few deep breaths later, and I was ready to open my eyes. I'm almost glad I did.

Max was breathing, slowly, but she was breathing. A tidal wave of relief washed over me. I carefully felt her neck, praying that it wasn't broken. It wasn't. She didn't seem horrible, but definitely didn't look good at all. There were the beginnings of bruises all over her body. Her lip was bleeding, and there was mud and dirt covering up some of the fresh blood stains on her clothes. She looked absolutely terrible, but I knew that underneath the pain, she was the same beautiful girl I grew up with.

"Max?" I said, my voice trembling. No answer. "Max, are you alright?" I asked a little louder. Nothing, not a word or sound came from her. The tears started to come back. "Max, open your eyes damnit!" I cried.

She didn't move, not an inch. The tears started to flow unevenly down my face, and I struggled to keep them back. I collapsed onto the ground by her and cradled her in my arms. "Please," I whispered, choking at that one word, "just open your eyes." I bit my lip, hoping that she would listen to me this time.

"You have to wake up, Max!" I groaned. "Max, you have to wake up. You have to open your eyes." She didn't stir. "Max, you have to! The flock, we need you. I need you. Oh, God, Max, I need you!"

My tears started to drip off of my face and onto Max's. "Come on, Max," I whispered, losing hope, "we need to go. You need to tell them that it's going to be alright." That was when it occurred to me, though I'd never want to believe it, that Max may never wake up. The thought was too much for me to bear. I gently swept a few hairs off of her forehead and wiped some dirt off of her cheek with my thumb. "I− I really need you here with me, Max. You're the reason this life is worth living for me."

Still, she didn't move. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "Max, I . . . I l−love you. Don't leave me like this."

I hadn't expected much of a reaction, nothing to be exact. Still, I yelled in agony at the top of my lungs. Those dang tears were streaming down my face now, but I let them go. This was a new low for me, and I was too broken to make them stop. Fourteen years of silence and barriers came crashing down.

"Do you," I heard someone cough. I looked down. "Have to yell?"

Max. I was taken over by relief. "Max, oh, you're alright."

She squeezed her eyes even tighter shut. "Not really," she whispered. Her voice was strained and weak, but she was alive. I touched her arm to reassure her that she'd be okay. "Ouch," she flinched.

"Sorry," I said, gently moving my arm back. Max nodded, but she winced in pain from the movement. "At least you're alive."

"Were you crying?" she whispered. I bit my lip and looked away. "We'll talk later, then," she said after not hearing a response from me.

"Is everything alright?"

I turned around and saw Iggy standing a safe distance away. "Yeah," I said, wiping my eyes again, "she's alive."

Max grunted, "Barely."

Iggy walked over to us and rested on one knee by Max's side. He mentally started cataloging all of her cuts, bruises, and possible breaks. I desperately wished that she didn't have any major injuries.

"Well?" I asked nervously. Iggy kept hovering his hands over Max. "Ig, how bad is it?" I said a littler stronger.

He was still silent, but he eventually let out a sigh. "She's not in horrible condition," he mumbled.

"Thank god," I sighed.

"But," he went on, "she's got a few minor fractures, a lot of bruises, and a nice collection of cuts. So, she's not going to be moving around a lot for the next few days."

I nodded and patted him on the back. "Thanks a lot, Ig. This means a lot to me."

"I know," he said, smirking at me. I stuck out my tongue, though it did no good.

"What about me?" Max croaked. "I need to make sure everyone is okay. They have to be so worried. I have to check on them." She started to sit up, but cried out in pain, clutching her side.

"You're not going anywhere," I told her. "Besides, they're more worried about you than they are for themselves." I heard Max grunted in agreement, and I smiled. "Come on," I softly said and picked her up in my arms, "I'll take care of you."

Max closed her eyes and sighed. "I know," she whispered.

And I would take care of her, forever until the day I died. I loved Max Ride, whether or not she loved me back. No matter what, I'd always be right there beside her, ready to take a bullet to save her. She was worth it, even if I ended up broken. As long as I could see her smiling face, it would be enough.

* * *

**Awww! I love you too, Fang! Oh...wait...he was talking about Max. Oh well...**

**I think this story is going to be wrapping up soon. -gasp- I know, but there's probably going to be one or two more chapters and then, bam, Midnight Morning is officially done. It's sad, and I really liked this one, too.**

**The good news is...-drum roll- I'll be posting three, let me repeat THREE new stories coming out within the next couple months! There's Code Name Alpha (which has 2 chapters up), then there's sort of the prequel to CNA (Alpha's POV, how he got to where he is), and then there's Heat Flash, the sequel to CNA that will come out as soon as CNA is done! The sort of prequel will come out after CNA, because it's kind of an optional story. You don't necessarily need it to understand, but it's nice to look at.**

**Oh, also, I have a couple of links on my profile page that I would like people to check out. There's the Help Create My Characters! link. That will take you to a poll. The poll is for two of my minor characters in Code Name Alpha. I need more opinions, so please take the poll! And the other link is my Homepage. That will take you to a blog. Who's blog? Alpha's blog! So, if you want to 'get to know' or 'chat' with Alpha (dorky, I know) go to his blog!**

**Okay, I don't have much more to say, so...**

**Gotta fly! (Alpha takin' over my head!)**

**- Saz**


	9. Author's Note

Really sorry everyone. Especially the people who have this story on alert. Really sorry for the false chapter. 

I'm leaving tomorrow for vacation and I will have limited to no internet access for about a week and a half, so there obviously won't be any updates. Really sorry folks. But I'll have a lot of stuff ready for ya when I get back late next week!

Ya know what would be a really awesome welcome back present? More reviews. Tell your friends, review on chapters you didn't review on in the past. I'd be really happy to see that when I come back.

Well, see ya in a week!

- Saz


	10. The Best Medicine

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. If I did, well...**

* * *

That night, we stayed at a hotel. Actually, we stayed there for several nights. I didn't want to risk moving Max too much, but the danger of us being found again made me edgy. The desk clerk had looked at us funny at first, but with Angel's help, we got a few rooms with no more questions. Angel and Nudge stayed in one room, Iggy and the Gasman in another, and I stayed with Max. There was no way I was about to leave her alone for more than one minute.

Every night before I went to sleep on the cot we had asked for since there was only one bed, I would lay down beside Max, and we would talk until she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder. Then all I would do was slide out from underneath her and go to my cot.

Max was getting better each day, and she was able to walk by her second day of recovery. Not that I would let her walk five steps without me there by her side, though. She absolutely hated it, but I'm not letting her do anything. Now that I think about it, it doesn't sound all that great. Oh well, that's me for ya.

One night, while we were lying in her bed (ew− not in that sort of way), she asked me about the day she fell. Of course, I had to get in my questions too.

"Did you have another brain attack?" I asked. "Is that why you fell?"

Max closed her eyes and slowly nodded. "Sort of," she mumbled slowly.

I blankly began rubbing her shoulder, and she nestled her head on my shoulder. This I was more than happy with. When Max was happy, usually I was, too. For a while, we just laid there mindlessly watching the television, tuning out the words, and just enjoying each other's company. I shifted the slightest bit to make both of us more comfortable, and she winced in pain.

"Are you alright? Do I need to get you anything?" I said, worrying that she was still hurting.

"You worry about me too much, Fang," she sighed. "And no, I'm fine. I don't need anything." I looked at her, not completely convinced. She gave me a little smile. "Honestly," she reassured me, "I'm fine."

Well, if she said she was okay. . . .

"Are you positive? I mean, I can go get you something if you need it," I told her anyway. "No, wait, I can have Iggy or Nudge go to get you something. I'm not leaving you alone any time soon."

Max rolled her eyes, but I could see the laughter inside of her. "Fang," she whined. "I'm okay, alright? I'll be giving a hundred and ten percent by tomorrow."

Her reassurance made me settle down and lessen my worries. "If you say you're alright, then I'm good, too."

She sighed, "I guess you would be." I grinned warmly at her, causing what I thought was a flush grow across her cheeks. Max turned her head away from me before I could be sure of or even joke about it.

"Why don't you get some rest?" I suggested, gently running my fingers through the tips of her hair.

"On one condition," she said, stifling a yawn. "Stay with me until I fall asleep."

I softened my gaze, filled with a warm emotion that she couldn't see in me. "Of course," I whispered, kissing her forehead. Max looked surprised by me kissing her, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she closed her eyes and rubbed her head against my shoulder to find a more comfortable position. Then, with Max right there beside me and the lull of the TV in the background, my eyelids became heavy, and I allowed myself to sleep just long enough so I would be content. Just a few minutes, that's all I needed. . . .

Sometime later, I awoke to the sound of an angel's voice. "Fang, are you awake?" she whispered ever so softly.

My eyes were still closed, but I could picture her, this angel of my mind, in person. I could just imagine her flawless white wings, stained with flecks of brown and black on the outside.

"Fang," she said, her voice muffled by that dreamy feeling I had. "Wake up, please? I need to ask you something." Several minutes passed, but it felt like hours, before I could respond. This dream was just too perfect.

When I did open my eyes, I saw the only thing that was better than seeing an angel: Max. She was still next to me, right where she was before I had fallen asleep. (How long had I been out?) Her arm was holding up her weight so that she was leaning over me. I just wanted to reach out and touch her, to feel the softness of her skin and to see her smile.

"Hmm? What? What time is it?" I mumbled, still half asleep.

"Hey, sleepy, it's about midnight," Max said softly. I looked up at her and blinked groggily. She tried to hide the smile on her face, but I saw it in her eyes.

"What do you need?" I asked as I sat up a little more. I shook my head to clear my cloudy thoughts.

"I've been thinking a lot recently," she whispered, absentmindedly drawing circles with her finger on the sheets in between us. "Well, mainly while you were sleeping, which I might add, you were supposed to wait until I feel asleep."

I grinned coyly at her. "Yeah, I'm real sorry 'bout doing that, Max." She sighed and pushed my head against the backboard jokingly. "So," I began more conversationally than before, "what do you need to ask me?"

Right away, I saw a shyness come about Max. She never got this nervous unless it was something she didn't want to talk about. Knowing this, I had a pretty good idea what her question was about. I've been waiting for this talk for a while.

"When I fell," she said almost in a whisper, "I kind of heard you talking a little."

My heart beat a little faster. Yes, she was going in the direction I wanted her to, but what if something went wrong? What if I messed it up? No, I'm sure that she feels the same way. I mean, look at all of the signs! Those were signs back when they happened, right? Oh, jeez.

Max apprehensively blew some hair out of her face. "I was wondering, if . . . if you knew what you were saying," she fidgeted. "'Cause you know that I've said some things that I don't mean, right?"

"I meant every little thing I said, all of it," I said without much of a hesitation.

She bit her lip. "Uh-huh."

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, trying to ignore the anxiety I was starting to feel.

"N− no, it isn't," she said softly.

The seconds ticked by and turned into minutes, all in silence. How long would this last? This silence would kill me before any Flyboy or Eraser would, and that's saying a heck of a lot. It would be midnight of the next week before either of us said anything. I couldn't wait that long! Jeez, it was already midnight dark o'clock. If I had to wait even until the morning, I'd probably go insane from the nerves.

"Max, please, for the sake of both of us," I said, enjoying even the smallest reference to us together, "please tell me what you really want before its morning."

"Technically," she mumbled wearily, "it's already morning. It's after midnight."

I rolled my eyes. No freakin' duh. "I get it. Just tell me, will you? I'm not going to bite, or at least I won't too hard."

She sighed, not really finding it that amusing. See, me, Fang, biting too hard, get it? Oh, forget you.

"Do you love the flock?" she asked. I nodded. "All of the flock?" I nodded again. "Every one of us, even Total?"

"Yes, Max," I said, growing tired of her avoiding this. "I love everyone in the flock." She nodded her head, not completely satisfied, but content. "But," I went on carefully, "there is someone who I love more than anyone else in the flock."

If Max was tense before, boy was she a bow drawn tight now. "Want to guess who it is?" I asked her, and I allowed myself to brush some of her hair out of her face.

"I think I have a pretty good idea," she murmured anxiously, giving a dry laugh.

A soft smile came to my face. "You know, they do say laughter is the best medicine," I told her. She looked over to me for a quick second. "I can think of something that's even better than that."

Without looking back up at me, she asked, "What?"

I gently touched her cheek and turned her head toward me. Her beautiful brown eyes were wide with caution and the slightest hint of fear. "This," I said as I drew her closer to me. There was nothing more that I wanted than to just whisk Max away and show her how much I loved her right then and there, but I went slowly with her, tenderly kissing her soft lips. She responded like I thought she would, hesitant, but going along with it.

After a sensible amount of time worth of kissing her, I pulled away, though I was reluctant. She stared up at me with utter disbelief and surprise. "Feeling any better?" I asked her.

"Somewhat," she replied vaguely.

I rolled my eyes and slid down so that I was lying down again. "I guess I'll get more out of you in the morning," I sighed.

Max nodded wearily, yet I still found her pressing her body against my side. "It's past midnight," she said quietly. "Maybe later this morning," she added softly.

"Midnight, morning, whatever," I mumbled, but who cared if it was dawn or dusk? I had Max, and that was all that really mattered. I was going to keep her safe, stay with her, for as long as I could. That's what I would do. Take care of her, keep her safe, and be there for her, but most importantly, I would love her. Until the midnight morning of the rest of our lives came to an end I would adore her, and even after that, she would be my angel in heaven.

* * *

**Aaaannnd...that's it! The final chapter! Midnight Morning is officially over with! Awww, it's so sad. I really loved this one. It was a bit hard to write toward the end, and I know that chapters came slower, but here it is: The final chapter. Wow.**

**This chapter is uber long! I mean, my gosh! It's, like, four pages long on my computer and about 200 words shy from being 2,000 words long! This is, by far, the longest chapter I've ever written. In honor of finishing my very first Maximum Ride fan fiction, I would like to...Actually, I don't know what I want to do, so...I'll reply to some of my reviews! No offense to those I didn't choose...I hate long ntoes at the end...ugh. I'm such a hypocrite.**

**MaximumFangness: Ice cream? Ice cream makes everything better! But -gasp- I got you to cry! Ack! Hasn't happened in this fic until you! (Or at least I think so...) Anyway, yay! I got an emotional response! Ha ha!**

**x.Skybreaker.x: Soap opera-y? LOL! I'm lucky it has a plot. Seriously, with every other story I'm working on and then some, I'm surprised their plots haven't crossed at all! Pft. I'm so unorganized when it comes to writing, but I write what I want when I feel like it, so there we go. Happy author equals happy readers.**

**Okay...I'm getting tired of this... So.Many.Great.Reviews.Can't.Choose.GAH! Okay, so to all of you that did review, thank you. For everyone who said something positive about the story, thanks a lot! For everyone who said something positive about my writing style, muchos gracias! And for the few who gave me a critique, thanks! (I'm not all that great at thank you speaches...xD)**

**So, that's it...Midnight Morning is officially...complete. Thank you, everyone for reviewing, the 55 people who reviewed before this chapter and a thanks to anyone who will be reviewing in the future.**

**- Saz**

**BTW...I own the 4th Max Ride book. If you want to hear me ramble about it, message me! AHHH! The Max-ness! The Fang-ness! The Fax-ness! -duct tapes mouth shut before she gives away the plot-**


	11. ReWrite!

June 26

Hey! I know I finished this story, like, ages ago (lol), but I've been looking back at it a lot recently...and I just wanted to ask you guys this...

How would you feel about me re-writing it?

You know, make it longer, more description, more dialogue, more Fax-action? Things like that. Because I'm looking back at it and going, "Huh...I could have done sooo much better than that." I mean I'm looking back and just looking at the word count is enough to make me want to drag the original out and start typing. I write longer chapters now, like, 2000-3000 words per chapter, about 2400 average. Some of the chapters here are barely 1000 words. Lame. I want length. I want substance. I want description. I want FAX! :D

Besides...I don't think I'm going to go through with Code Name Alpha for a while...too many other things going on at the moment. But, if I direct my energies toward Midnight Morning like I want to, then I can really do something. :D I work where my mind wants to, and my mind wants Midnight Morning right now.

So, how about it? Re-write? There would probably be 2 or 3 extra chapters, if not more, not to mention over double the amount of words it has now. What is there to lose?

Please don't review here! Well, you can, but I'd prefer if you took the poll on my profile. I can keep track of things easier that way, but either way is fine.

Thank you!

- Saz


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